‘Another thing to be glad about is that he might be thawing a little,’ I said. ‘He shot me some dirty looks but he didn’t swear at me this time. That’s an improvement on our last encounter.’
‘Keep hoping and I will too. I think he wants you back in his life. If he didn’t care at all, he’d never have looked you up in the first place.’
‘Lucy said something similar this morning. I’d like to believe that’s the case.’ I really would because it hurt too much to think otherwise.
There was nothing I could do about Aaron so I pushed the situation out of my mind, determined to make the most of my day with Tara. We watched the raft race which was great fun. The participants pelted each other with eggs and flour before and during the race and some of them tried to capsize the others. Afterwards, we went for fish and chips in a restaurant above one of the many takeaways on the seafront. We managed to secure a seat by the window, giving us great views across South Bay. The football match didn’t appear to have drawn quite as large a crowd as the dip or raft race but there were still plenty of people about.
We hadn’t long finished eating when another emoji-strewn message arrived from Lucy.
From Lucy
Another heads up for you. Grandad said they’d seen you and I asked Aaron whether he was nicer to you this time. Turns out Mum didn’t know about him crashing Gramps’s birthday. She now has steam coming out her ears. Really sorry. I assumed she knew x
‘Bad news?’ Tara askedwhen I groaned.
I showed her the message and she winced. ‘You were wondering why Ingrid hadn’t had a go at you. Now you know.’
‘She never misses out on an opportunity to vent so I should have realised she didn’t know. Collecting the girls later is going to be fun.’
To Lucy
I assumed she knew too. Don’t worry about it – not your fault. Have a great lunch and see you later x
Tara and I had returned to The Chocolate Pot and were relaxing in her flat with a hot chocolate, Hercules sprawled across our laps, when a message came through from Erin.
From Erin
Please pick us up at 3pm. Lucy says she’s warned you that Mum’s on the warpath. Grandma and Grandad have suggested you stay in the car to avoid her. We’ll stalk you x
I smiled at the stalking comment. When we’d returned to the UK, Lucy had got me, Erin and my parents to sign up to an app to keep track of where we all were. I was actually surprised that the girls had both wanted it – especially when Lucy referred to it asthe stalking app– because I hadn’t imagined they’d want me to see their every move. Lucy had made a big show about wanting to keep tabs on us all so we couldn’tget up to mischiefwithout her knowing about it. Erin had told me the real reason was that, although Lucy was happy with the move back to the UK, she had no memory of being here before and had decided she’d feel more comfortable in astrange countryif she could see where we allwere and know we were safe. It was really sweet of her and showed the vulnerability beneath her often brash exterior.
I wasn’t scared of Ingrid’s wrath – I’d been exposed to it enough times over the years that I could mainly let it wash over me – but I didn’t want to cause problems for Billy and Pam so if they’d suggested I stay in the car, that’s what I’d do.
Billy and Pam lived in a large end-terrace cottage on a side street off the main road through Cranton. They never used the front door and, after I’d turned the car at the end of the street, I spotted Erin and Lucy already on their way along the drive at the side of the house. I waved at them both and my stomach sank as Ingrid rushed past them. So much for avoiding her!
I never shied away from difficult conversations because I believed they were essential to iron out issues and avoid misunderstandings but Ingrid was the sort of person who didn’t have an actualconversation. If there was a problem, she never discussed it calmly. Instead, she approached it with all guns blazing. She shouted, swore, accused and never listened. It was exhausting and unnecessarily stressful for everyone involved.
Releasing a heavy sigh, I stopped just beyond the drive, pulled on the handbrake, wound the passenger window down and switched off the ignition.
‘Hi, Ingrid,’ I said in a polite tone as she bent down by the window.
‘Don’t youhi, Ingridme!’
I nearly laughed out loud at that. If I’d said nothing, I’d have been accused of ignoring her. I couldn’t win when she wasriled up like this.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ she demanded. ‘What part ofhe’s not your son and you have no place in his lifedon’t you understand? Have I not been clear enough?’
I’d heard those words or similar so many times in the early days when I fought for access to my son and every time it had felt like a punch in the stomach. The passing years hadn’t diminished the blow.
I reluctantly opened the car door and stepped out onto the road, looking across the top of the car at Ingrid as I fought to keep my voice low and steady. ‘You’ve beenbrutallyclear on that point.’
‘Good. So what the hell were you thinking, inviting him to your dad’s birthday like that?’
My eyebrows shot up. ‘He wasn’t invited. I didn’t even know he was in the country.’
‘Yeah, right, likely story. Stay away from him. I mean it, Jed! He’smyson, not yours!’ Each sentence increased in volume and, with a withering look, she stormed off down the drive.
I closed my eyes and shook my head. It didn’t have to be like this between us. I really didn’t understand why Ingrid was so angry with me all the time. I hadn’t dragged my family to the other side of the world to secretly be with my ex, I hadn’t had an affair throughout our marriage, I hadn’t had a child with someone else and lied about it. If I was willing to keep it amicable when I was the person who’d been deceived and betrayed, why couldn’t she?
